St Thomas' Church, Bath Row, is a former

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

parish church in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

History

It was built as a

Commissioners' church A Commissioners' church, also known as a Waterloo church and Million Act church, is an Anglican church in the United Kingdom built with money voted by Parliament as a result of the Church Building Acts of 1818 and 1824. The 1818 Act supplied ...

. The foundation stone of the church was laid by

Folliott Cornewall Folliott Herbert Walker Cornewall (bapt. 9 May 1754 – 5 September 1831) was an English bishop of three sees. Life Folliott (or Folliot) Herbert Cornewall was baptised in Ludlow on 9 May 1754, the second surviving son of Captain Frederick Cornew ...

Bishop of Worcester A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

, on 22 October 1826 and the church was built to designs of the architect Thomas Rickman at a cost of £14,220 () and consecrated by Cornewall on 29 October 1829. It was for a time the largest church in Birmingham, seating 2,600. During the Chartist riots of 1839, crowds took railings from around the churchyard to use as pikes. Part of the parish was taken to form the parish of St Asaph's when this was consecrated in 1868. It was restored in 1893 under the supervision of the architect

Frank Barlow Osborn Frank Barlow Osborn FRIBA (June 1840 - 6 April 1907) was an English architect based in Birmingham. Life He was articled to Charles Edge and then transferred to Samuel Sanders Teulon Samuel Sanders Teulon (2 March 1812 – 2 May 1873) was an ...

when the old high-back pews and pew platforms were removed, the church was cleaned and renovated, and the organ restored by Walter James Bird of Birmingham, all at a cost of £1,200 (). On the night of 11 December 1940, during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, all but the tower and classical west portico was destroyed by German bombs. The parish was united with Immanuel Church, which had closed in 1939, and Immanuel Church was reopened. The remaining portico and tower have been preserved and are now part of

St Thomas' Peace Garden St Thomas' Peace Garden (aka the Peace Gardens) is a small public park in Birmingham, England, designated as a monument to peace and a memorial to all those killed in armed conflict. The Peace Gardens were designed around the tower and west por ...

Rectors

*William Marsh 1829–1842 *Edward Bird 1842–1847 (formerly rector of Tattenhall, Cheshire) *George S. Bull 1847–1864 (formerly incumbent at

St Matthew's Church, Duddeston and Nechells St Matthew's Church, Duddeston and Nechells is a Grade II listed parish church in the Church of England in Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the se ...

) *Charles Thomas Wilkinson 1864–1870 (formerly incumbent at Attercliffe, Sheffield, afterwards Vicar of St Andrew's Church, Plymouth) *Thomas D. Halsted 1870–1888 (formerly Vicar of St Paul's Church, Greenwich, afterwards Vicar of Little Hereford, Tenbury) *F. S. Webster 1888–1898 *Walter George Whicker 1898–1910 *W. J. Sheppard 1910–1919 *C. T. Aston 1919 *J. Bell 1920–1929 (formerly vicar of St Paul's Leyton and St John's Walthamstow, afterwards Vicar of St Mary's Church, Harrogate) *Douglas Barton

Organ

A new organ was installed by Bishop of London and opened on 24 November 1837 by

George Hollins George Hollins (16 March 1809 - 16 December 1841) was an organist and composer who lived in Birmingham, West Midlands. Life He was born on 16 March 1809, the son of William Hollins (1763-1843) architect and sculptor, and Catherine Holebrooke (17 ...

. It was rebuilt and enlarged in 1861 by Mr Bosward when it was equipped with three manuals (choir manual of 8 or 9 stops prepared for) with 12 stops on the Great, 10 on the Swell and 4 on the pedal (1 prepared for). The organ was renovated again in 1893 when three new stops were added by Walter James Bird of Cregoe Street, Birmingham.

Organists

*Mr. Chapman c. 1841 – c. 1849 *Alfred J. Sutton 1865–1870 *John Pearce 1870–1882 (formerly organist of

St Paul's Church, Birmingham St Paul's is a Church of England church in the Georgian St Paul's Square in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, England. History The Grade I listed church was designed by Roger Eykyn of Wolverhampton. Building started in 1777, and the church ...

) *Paul Smith 1882–1888 *Alfred Ashdown Box 1888–1928

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Thomas' Church, Birmingham Churches bombed by the Luftwaffe in Birmingham, West Midlands Churches completed in 1829 Church of England church buildings in Birmingham, West Midlands Commissioners' church buildings Destroyed churches in England Organizations disestablished in 1940 Grade II listed churches in Birmingham Thomas Rickman buildings